Micro-domain carbon material for thermal insulation

Abstract

A method of thermally insulating makes use of a particulate carbon material including carbon particles in a shape of disks and hollow open cones. The hollow open cones can have one or several of the following opening angles: 19.2°, 38.9°, 60°, 83.6°, 112°. The thickness of the disks and the thickness of walls of the hollow open cones can each be less than 100 nm, and the longest dimensions of the disks and the hollow open cones can each be less than 5 μm.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of reducing thermal conductivity, comprising:
 preparing a composite by adding a particulate carbon material comprising carbon particles to an insulation material, 
 
       wherein the carbon particles have a shape of disks and hollow open cones. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the hollow open cones has an opening angle selected from the group consisting of 19.2°, 38.9°, 60°, 83.6° and 112°. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the disks and a thickness of walls of the hollow open cones are less than 100 nm respectively. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein longest dimensions of the disks and the hollow open cones are less than 5 μm respectively. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particulate carbon material has a total effective specific extinction coefficient e* for IR radiation with Λ=1.4 μm to 35 μm at 300 K within a range of from 1200 to 1700 m 2 /kg. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particulate carbon material is used as an athermanous filler. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the particulate carbon material is incorporated in a matrix made of the insulating material which is a polymeric material. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the polymeric material is a polymer selected from the group consisting of vinyl polymers and polyurethanes. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the matrix made of the insulating material is a polymeric foam. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the polymeric foam comprises a thermoplastic or a thermosetting polymer. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the polymeric foam comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of expanded polystyrene, an expanded copolymer of styrene and at least one copolymerizable monomer, expanded polypropylene, extruded polystyrene, and polyurethane foam. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the polymeric material is a vinyl aromatic polymer. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the insulation material comprises fumed silica. 
     
     
       14. A method of reducing a thermal conductivity of a vacuum insulated panel (VIP) by adding a particulate carbon material comprising carbon particles in a shape of disks and hollow open cones to an insulation material used as a supporting core.